The present invention relates broadly to motion upholstery furniture designed to support a user's body in an essentially seated disposition. Motion upholstery furniture includes recliners, incliners, sofas, love seats, sectionals, theater seating, traditional chairs, and chairs with a movable seat portion, such furniture pieces being referred to herein generally as “seating units.” More particularly, the disclosure relates to an improved profile ottoman for use on chairs that present a sleek profile and fewer exposed pinch points when extended. The profile ottoman disclosed can be adapted and used on any number of seating units.
Reclining seating units exist that allow a user to forwardly extend a footrest and to recline a backrest rearward relative to a seat. These existing seating units typically provide three basic positions (e.g., a standard, non-reclined closed position; an extended position; and a reclined position). In the closed position, the seat resides in a generally horizontal orientation and the backrest is disposed substantially upright. Additionally, the seating unit includes one or more ottomans attached with a mechanical arrangement; in the closed position, the mechanical arrangement is collapsed such that the ottoman(s) are not extended. In the extended position, often referred to as a television (“TV”) position, the ottoman(s) are extended forward of the seat, and the backrest remains sufficiently upright to permit comfortable television viewing by an occupant of the seating unit. In the reclined position, the backrest is pivoted rearward from the extended position into an obtuse relationship with the seat for lounging or sleeping.
Several modern seating units in the industry are adapted to provide the adjustment capability described above. However, the linkages extending the ottomans in these seating units present a “scissor-like” look when extended, and present undesirable pinch points. As such, a more refined, lower profile ottoman linkage would fill a void in the current field of motion-upholstery technology.
Accordingly, embodiments of the mechanism pertain to a novel, simplified ottoman linkage that presents a low profile. Further, the ottoman linkage of the invention is constructed in a simple and refined arrangement in order to provide suitable function while overcoming the above-described, undesirable features inherent within the conventional ottoman linkage mechanisms.